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The rent was last paid on the 29th August last, and for the year ending September 1, 1885. As to the value of the land I am informed by competent judges that it would bring from $5,000 to $6,000 if sold at public auction.

The following facts connected with the work, for which I am indebted to General Cullum's Historical Sketch of the Fortification Defenses of Narragansett Bay, may be of interest:

North Point was fortified early in 1776, by the citizens of Rhode Island.

The work was armed with 18 and 24 pounder guns, and in April, 1776, it assisted in driving the British ships Scarborough, of 20, and Cimetar, of 18 guns, with their two prizes, from their anchorage near Rose Island, over to the Conanicut side of the Middle Passage, from which latter position they were forced to sea by batteries at the Dumplings, Brenton's Point, and Castle Hill. In December, 1776, it fell into the hands of the British, who held it for three years, and who in turn successfully employed it against the fleet of our French ally, commanded by Count d'Estaing, during its unsuccessful attempt to relieve Newport in the early part of August, 1778.

It formed the left of the inner line of intrenchments, which was thrown up during the attack (August, 1778,) by the Americans under Generals Sullivan and Lafayette on the British main line of works which surrounded the city. It fell into the hands of the Americans again on the British evacuation in October, 1779.

The rebuilding of the work in its present form was commenced in 1798, in anticipation of war with France, and it was completed in 1800. It was again garrisoned by troops in the war of 1812, and it probably remains in the same condition as then, except that the brick barrack and guard-house, and the hot-shot furnace which it formerly contained, and the palisade along its gorge, have been demolished.

While the site of Fort Greene would not now be selected for defensive purposes, and the work.itself is not suited for the heavy guns of modern times, yet, in case of an emergency, in the present condition of the fortifications between Newport and the sea, by raising slightly the earthen parapet of the work and thickening it by embanking upon the terreplein, the parade would furnish good emplacements for heavy rifled mortars, to be used in co-operation with temporary works on the site of Fort Hamilton, Rose Island, and on Coasters' Harbor Island in the defense of Newport Harbor, in case the enemy should succeed in getting past the lower defenses, or in case he should force the Western Passage into Narragansett Bay, as was done during the war of the Revolution by Sir Peter Parker, with the British fleet, and again by the Count d'Estaing, with the French fleet, and come down from the North upon Newport, and the rear of the main works commanding the Middle Passage.

It seems, therefore, that Fort Greene has sufficient, both of military value and of historical interest, to warrant the retention of the work by the United States, certainly for the present; and I am of the opinion that it should not be sold, but should be turned over to the city of Newport for use as a public park, as contemplated in the resolution of the Senate, to be retained by the city during the pleasure of the Secretary of War, under the conditions that are now contained in the lease, except the payment of rent to the United States.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Brig. Gen. JOHN NEWTON,

GEORGE H. ELLIOT, Lieutenant-Colonel of Engineers.

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A., Washington, D. C.

APPENDIX No. 3.

BATTALION OF ENGINEERS AND ENGINEER SCHOOL OF APPLICATION.

REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL H. L. ABBOT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, BVT. BRIG. GEN., U. S. A., OFFICER IN COMMAND, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1885.

BATTALION OF ENGINEERS AND SCHOOL OF APPLICATION,

Willets Point, New York Harbor, July 1, 1885. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following as my annual report upon the Battalion of Engineers and the Engineer School of Application for the year ending June 30, 1885.

The law provides for a Battalion of Engineers of five companies, having an authorized strength of 752 enlisted men, and officered by details from the Corps of Engineers. At present only four companies, with a total strength of 450 enlisted men, are allowed to be recruited. During the past year Companies A, B, and C have been stationed at Willets Point. Company D exists only on paper. Company E has been stationed at West Point.

The aggregate strength of the Battalion on June 30, 1885, was 21 commissioned officers and 383 enlisted men.

ROSTER OF OFFICERS ON JUNE 30, 1885.

Lieut. Col. Henry L. Abbot, Corps of Engineers, commanding.
First Lieut. S. W. Roessler, Corps of Engineers, adjutant.
First Lieut. J. L. Lusk, Corps of Engineers, quartermaster.

Company A.

Capt. J. G. D. Knight, Corps of Engineers, commanding company.
First Lieut. E. J. Spencer, Corps of Engineers, with company.
Second Lieut. H. E. Waterman, Corps of Engineers, with company.
Second Lieut. J. C. Sanford, Corps of Engineers, with company.
Second Lieut. D. DuB. Gaillard, Corps of Engineers, with company.

Company B.

Capt. Thos. N. Bailey, Corps of Engineers, commanding company.
First Lieut. G. D. Fitch, Corps of Engineers, with company.
First Lieut. G. A. Zinn, Corps of Engineers, with company.
Second Lieut. H. M. Chittenden, Corps of Engineers, with company.
Second Lieut. H. Taylor, Corps of Engineers, with company.

Company C.

Capt. P. M. Price, Corps of Engineers, commanding company.
First Lieut. W. C. Langfitt, Corps of Engineers, with company.
Second Lieut. I. Hale, Corps of Engineers, with company.
Second Lieut. C. E. Gillette, Corps of Engineers, with company.
Second Lieut. W. L. Sibert, Corps of Engineers, with company.

427

Company D.

First Lieut. S. W. Roessler, Corps of Engineers, commanding company.

Company E.

Maj. W. S. Stanton, Corps of Engineers, commanding company.
First Lieut. W. M. Black, Corps of Engineers, with company.

First Lieut. L. H. Beach, Corps of Engineers, temporarily with company.

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During the past year the companies of the Battalion have been recruited partly by enlistments and re-enlistments at Willets Point and West Point, partly by the assignment of recruits selected for the Engineer Battalion at the recruiting depots at David's Island and Columbus Barracks, and partly by special enlistments at a rendezvous of the General Recruiting Service in New York City.

The maximum enlisted strength authorized for the Engineer Battalion was increased from 200 men to 450 men by the honorable Secretary of War, in a letter dated War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, Washington, August 9, 1884.

In compliance with instructions from the Adjutant-General's Office dated September 8, 1884, two non-commissioned officers were detailed to report respectively to the commanding officers of the Recruiting Depots at Columbus Barracks and David's Island for the purpose of filling the new vacancies by selecting men qualified for the Engineer Service, and who desire to join the Battalion. Having nearly accomplished this object they were relieved on January 30 and March 20, respectively. Under authority conveyed by letter from the Adjutant General, U. S. A., dated June 2, 1885, an engineer sergeant was detailed to report to

the Superintendent of the General Recruiting Service, to recruit for the Battalion. He was attached to the rendezvous at 109 West street, New York City, where he still remains.

The following is a summary statement of the recruiting, desertions, and other changes among the enlisted men of the Battalion during the past year:

Recruits from depots (David's Island 168, Columbus Barracks 86, 109 West street, New York, 8) 262; enlisted in Battalion (at Willets Point 49, at West Point 7) 56; re-enlisted (at Willets Point 23, at West Point 7) 30; by transfer, 2; from desertion, 9; discharged by expiration of service, 33; for disability, 4; by sentence of general court-martial, 1; by order, 20; deserter turned over to United States Marine Corps, 1; transferred to other arms of service, 4; retired, 1; died of disease, 4; deserted, 106.

The excessive number of desertions is attributable to the fact that the large increase of the Battalion occurred during the autumn and winter, when many men enlist to obtain food and shelter during the inclement season, intending to leave in the spring. The exodus occurred chiefly after the pay-days in March and in May (69 men).

I desire to express my special thanks to Col. W. R. Shafter, Superintendent of the General Recruiting Service, for his interest and advice in arranging the systems upon which the recruits were obtained; and to the other officers of the General Recruiting Service for the efforts they made to procure good men for the Battalion. Without their cordial assistance the recruitment would have been a matter of great difficulty.

MILITARY DUTIES OF THE BATTALION.

The companies at Willets Point guard and care for the property there in depot; and at West Point, in addition to ordinary garrison duty, aid in instructing the cadets of the Military Academy in field fortifications, military bridge building, and military signaling.

The whole Battalion is equipped and well drilled as infantry, and is always ready for active service in riots or other emergencies as well as in actual war.

The companies at Willets Point during the past year have carried out extensive experiments with new explosives, movable fish torpedoes, and submarine mines; and have done much useful work in printing engineering documents, repairing ponton trains, &c., in addition to the usual routine of garrison duties.

THE ENGINEER SCHOOL OF APPLICATION.

The gradual development of this establishment has been reported in detail in my former annual reports.

At the close of the war in 1865 the Battalion of Engineers was ordered from the field to construct a new post at Willets Point and establish a depot for the bridge equipage and other material which had been used in the campaigns in Virginia. No permanent barracks or storehouses existed, and work was severe and continuous.

In October, 1866, shortly after his appointment as Chief of Engineers, General Humphreys inspected the establishment. He decided (1) that to command and properly instruct the companies a large detail of officers of the Corps would be permanently needed; (2) that advantage should be taken of this necessity to give all our officers, in regular turn, that practical experience with troops which had heretofore been im

practicable; and (3) that for the young officers this duty should be combined with facilities for extending the West Point course, where, from lack of time, it is deficient in regard to the special duties of the Corps, and especially that familiarity with the use of every kind of professional instrument should be acquired. For various reasons he did not at that time consider it expedient that a general order establishing a school of application should be published; but he instructed the commanding officer of the Battalion, by virtue of his military authority, to require such exercises, both military and civil, as should meet the end in view as fully as circumstances would permit.

The general system thus inaugurated in 1866 has been carried ont so far as practicable up to the present year. Very little money has been available, but by the steady support of the Chief of Engineers, and the interest and co-operation of the officers of the Battalion, many difficulties have been overcome, and in my judgment much good work has been done. The following is a brief outline of the successive extensions of the course:

Practice with the sextant and the construction of model fronts of fortification upon a scale of 1:12 were begun in 1867. Meteorological observations, reconnaissances, and surveys followed in 1868. In the same year the Essayons Club, a voluntary organization among the offi. cers, was formed to promote professional improvement, and did good work. The field astronomical observatory was established in 1869, and in the same year the first written engineering project (on the land defense of Brooklyn Heights) was ordered. In 1872 practical instruction in submarine mining was begun, and in 1873 military photography was added to the course. In 1877 the Chatham system of instruction in sapping and field fortification upon a scale of 1:6 was introduced. Since June 30, 1879, the annual reports of the Battalion commander have been published as appendices to the Annual Reports of the Chief of Engineers, and furnish full details as to the progress and condition of the school. The report dated July 1, 1883, gives essentially its condition at the recent reorganization.

The name "School of Application" I think was first officially applied by the Chief of Engineers in his Annual Report dated October 18, 1875, and was adopted by the honorable Secretary of War in his Annual Report dated November 19, 1879.

The establishment was inspected by yourself in May, 1884; and again, in company of the honorable Secretary of War, Mr. Lincoln, in the fol lowing July. The latter was so favorably impressed that he ordered the increase of the garrison (three companies of the Battalion) from a total of 150 to a total of 400 enlisted men. He also (in February, 1885) approved a project presented by yourself for the extension and reorganization of the School of Application. The chief new features are (1) the appointment of a Board of Visitors, consisting of the Board of Engineers and of such other officers of the Corps above the rank of major as may be stationed in New York City, who shall inspect the establishment at least twice annually, and submit reports with such recommendations as may appear advisable; (2) the organization of an academic staff of the school, consisting of the commandant, any other field officers attached to the Battalion, and the captains of the companies, with the Battalion adjutant as secretary; (3) the more systematic regulation of tours of duty with the Battalion; (4) the introduction of a theoretical course of instruction in military and civil engineering, and (5) an extension of the scope and number of the examinations of the young officers under instruction.

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